Safety first-you don't wanna end up with a cut or a sore back just from usin' a trowel! Let's start with the basics: wear gloves. Not just any gloves-work gloves with grip. The blade's not super sharp, but mortar's rough, and you can get blisters or scrapes from holdin' the trowel too tight. I once skipped gloves and got a mortar burn on my palm-stung for days.
Then, watch your grip. Don't hold the trowel like you're squeezin' a lemon-relax your hand. A tight grip leads to arm fatigue, and if your hand slips, you could jab the blade at yourself or someone else. Keep the blade pointed away from your body when you're not using it-don't set it down blade-up, either. I've seen guys step on a trowel that was laying blade-up-cut through their boot, ouch.
Lift with your legs, not your back. When you're bending down to scoop mortar or pick up a brick, hinge at the knees. Holding a trowel and leaning over all day messes with your back-trust me, I've had backaches that lasted a week 'cause I was lazy about lifting right.
And clean up when you're done! Wipe the blade so mortar don't dry-dry mortar makes the blade rough, and next time you use it, you could get splinters or scratches. Also, put the trowel in a toolbox, not on the ground where someone can trip over it. Simple stuff, but it keeps you safe.
brick trowel from hanke tools
